The general condition of many of our roads across the shire - both arterial and Council-managed roads - has deteriorated more rapidly in recent years, exacerbated by storm and flood events.
We continue to identify and strategically prioritise upgrades and maintenance to Council-managed roads each financial year through our annual capital works programs and recurring road maintenance programs, in consideration of our regular inspections, annual available budget and community feedback. We actively seek external funding opportunities to support these works, including partnering with the Australian and Victorian governments.
When upgrading our roads, we focus on 'building back better' and consider associated upgrades such as drainage, to make our roads more resilient against severe weather events and increased vehicle usage into the future. With $12.5 million in road works budgeted for 2024-25, you can find a list of current projects planned here.
In July 2024, the RACV's My Country Road survey highlighted the poor condition of several arterial roads within our shire, with three featuring in a list of the top 20 most dangerous in Victoria. These roads were:
- Tylden-Woodend Road, Woodend to Tylden (2nd)
- Kilmore Road, Monegeetta to Gisborne (3rd)
- Kilmore-Lancefield Road, Kilmore to Lancefield (13th)
Council regularly reports these priority road issues to the Department of Transport and Planning and in August 2024, wrote to the Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety, the Hon. Melissa Horne MP, highlighting the public safety issues with key state arterial roads and the need for the urgent repair of these roads.
In October 2024, the Victorian Government announced a road maintenance blitz to be completed in the 2024-25 financial year, including repairs to the roads above. A project page for these works can be found here on the Transport Victoria website.